Northgard Review (uncle 丂 丁 口 尺 爪)
Review of Key Aspects of Online Gameplay
Game Issues:
First, the servers are a big problem. It’s normal for a room to have to be recreated because someone couldn’t connect. During sales, it’s almost impossible to load into the game at all. This summer, servers and the Hound balance were a nightmare, but now things seem okay. Bugs are still common—sometimes I can’t build houses after the countdown, or the interface disappears. Reconnecting doesn’t always work the first time, and sometimes it doesn’t work at all. Bugs get fixed slowly, but the servers never improve.
Online Population:
There are about 300 active players, not all at once, but during prime time, rooms fill up quickly with both new and experienced players. Everyone can find opponents. At night or in the morning, though, it’s bad—10–15 minutes of waiting. Ranked is worse, especially if you have high Elo. Below 400 points, matchmaking is okay, but higher up, it’s harder. Overall, 300 players are somehow enough for the game.
Balance:
The balance doesn’t change often, mostly when new clans are added. Older clans rarely get updates, and full reworks are rare. Reworks mostly focus on lore, but their unique mechanics and buildings stay the same. In general, the game feels balanced, especially in 3x3 mode, so it doesn’t need constant fixes.
Game Modes:
There are enough modes: solo, duo (up to 8 players), duels, 2x2, 3x3, and 4x4. Different maps with unique mobs make the game more interesting.
Meta:
Some clans (aggressive ones) play well in year 801, while others (scaling clans) aim for 802. Aggressive clans are usually better, but in public games, it doesn’t matter much. Duels have dominant clans, and the meta rarely changes. Clans focused on 801 usually beat 802. In FFA, it’s random—you either get rushed or rush others, but it’s all luck. In 3x3, the meta is most balanced, with lots of synergies, and even without them, all clans are playable.
Repetitiveness:
The game has many mechanics and clans, each with unique gameplay. Learning a clan takes dozens of games, and mastering it can take hundreds. Different clans, map layouts, matchups, and player skill levels keep the game fresh, even after many hours. PvE also has enough content to explore.
Conclusion:
I love Northgard, but I can’t fully recommend it. The game isn’t getting worse, and new clans with cool mechanics are added (like Hounds with leveling units or Turtles with moving buildings). But the low player base and constant server issues will bother some people. On the bright side, DLCs and the game itself are affordable, especially during sales. Learning the game is fun and takes time, and the developers seem to be improving it, though not very actively. Overall, it’s a good strategy game, but only if you’re okay with its flaws.